Offseason Rankings: NFC North

PackFan2005
Hey, my first post!

Yeah, I’ve waited for a bit, just to introduce myself to the community basically, but enough about me. Let’s get to the point of this post.

I’m starting a string of posts analyzing every NFL team’s offseason, and it will come anytime I can (assuming nothing gets in the way), for every team’s division. Four teams a post. Easy. Let’s get to the analysis of the NFC North.

Analysis:
Bears fans may have a reason to have confidence for their team. If you had looked at them last season, you would’ve known they needed better coaching. John Fox wasn’t it, leading Chicago to three miserable seasons before his overdue firing. With former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as their current head coach, many are hoping he can build a team around second year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. So far, the Bears have succeeded in building an offense. With a receiving corps that could’ve done better in 2017, they’ve made huge upgrades. Allen Robinson is a potential #1 wide receiver, but he’s coming off of an ACL injury that sidelined him all of the 2017 season, so only time will tell what happens with him. Taylor Gabriel played well for the Atlanta Falcons, so I see no reason why he couldn’t be a #2 or #3 receiver. As for Trey Burton, he’ll be a key asset to the Bears, as he sat behind a great tight end in Zach Ertz. In the draft, James Daniels will be a nice addition to the Bears offensive line, after Josh Sitton’s departure in the free agency. As for defense, keeping Kyle Fuller showed Chicago cares about their backfield. And the draft addition of star linebacker Roquan Smith will be part of a dangerous group of linebackers that consist of Leonard Floyd and Danny Trevathan. All in all, the Bears have done plenty to make a team around Mitch Trubisky, but will it pay off in 2018? They could go from worst to first in the NFC North.
Offense Grade: 8/10
Defense Grade: 7/10
Special Teams Grade: 6/10

Detroit Lions

Notable Signings:
LeGarrette Blount- RB
Sylvester Williams- DT

Notable Draft Picks:
Frank Ragnow- C
Kerryon Johnson- RB

Analysis:
Man, Detroit’s passing game in 2017 was pretty good. They’ve got three reliable receivers in Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay. They’ve solidified their offensive line with the addition of Frank Ragnow in the first round of the draft. Not to mention Matthew Stafford has long been a consistently good quarterback. Their defense has lost notable players such as Tahir Whitehead and Haloti Ngata. Ngata was replaced by former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Sylvester Williams. Williams hasn’t really proven himself to be a consistent player, and signing him was a huge risk. Then there’s their run game. Oh man, it’s absolutely abysmal. Their running back room in 2017 was Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner. None rushed for more than 100 yards in a game, which is a trend that’s been alive since 2013 for Detroit. Who knows if new head coach Matt Patricia can reform the run game? Signing veteran running back LeGarrette Blount was a good start, and drafting Kerryon Johnson was another step further. My assumption is that Abdullah will not make the 53 man roster, Riddick will be kept for receiving purposes, and Blount and Johnson will be the featured running backs. Run game will be key for a successful 2018 season for the Lions:
Offense Grade: 7/10
Defense Grade: 7/10
Special Teams Grade: 8/10

Analysis:
The Packers seemed to be starting over, firing both offensive and defensive coordinators and cutting franchise wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Their top three quarterbacks on their roster all have starting experience, but two didn’t do so well. Meanwhile, at tight end, things seem to be looking up. With a receiving tight end (Jimmy Graham), blocking tight end (Marcedes Lewis), and one who can do a little bit of both (Lance Kendricks). While in good shape there, improvement at wide receiver is needed. The addition of three wide receivers in the draft, including fourth rounder J’mon Moore, creates a competition for the #3 receiver slot. Meanwhile on defense, their defensive line is looking like their current strength. It includes Mike Daniels, free agent Muhammad Wilkerson, and rising star Kenny Clark. But their pass defense was some of the worst anyone had seen in a while. It was actually painful to watch. To take a step in the right direction, they signed back veteran Tramon Williams, re-signed Davon House, and drafted back to back cornerbacks with Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. Who knows what their pass defense will look like in 2018? And can Aaron Rodgers revert back to normal after a broken collarbone?
Offense Grade: 8/10
Defense Grade: 7/10
Special Teams Grade: 6/10

Minnesota Vikings

Notable Signings:
Kirk Cousins- QB
Sheldon Richardson- DT

Notable Draft Picks:
Mike Hughes- CB
Daniel Carlson- K

Analysis:
The Vikings had it made on offense and defense in 2017. There may be a little tension on special teams though, as Vikings kicker Kai Forbath said that a challenge between him and rookie kicker Daniel Carlson is a little shocking. Meanwhile, the Vikings started fresh from quarterback, and signed the big name of the free agency, Kirk Cousins. They also have former Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian, who was acquired in a trade with Denver. They hope Cousins can deliver what Case Keenum did in 2017. As for defense, adding Sheldon Richardson to an already pumped up defensive line will give Rodgers, Stafford, and Trubisky a hard time playing Minnesota in 2018. Drafting cornerback Mike Hughes in the first round of the draft further makes this Vikings defense the best in the NFL. And with the same group of receivers, and a healthy Dalvin Cook, can the Vikings go 13-3 again in 2018?
Offense Grade: 8/10
Defense Grade: 9/10
Special Teams Grade: 7/10

In my next post, I will be analyzing the offseason of all the NFC South teams. So, I’ll get that to you whenever I can.